The Legend
by marauderette-for-life
Summary: Alternate universe. Legend has it, that in the center of a mythical maze, lies a frightful sorceress, and her monsters. But when Lily Evans finds the center of the maze, she finds a witch, but no monsters. Only her apprentices, and their little world. Lily is invited to become the fourth apprentice, she accepts. But when her parents are killed, she finds that magic can be evil too.


**Disclaimer-I do not own anything you guys recognize. Only the plot.**

**The Legend**

**Chapter 1: The Maze**

"Thirty, twenty-nine, twenty-eight…" Petunia counted down. Lily muffled her giggles, and ran off into the forest. The trees were spaced widely, and let sunlight pour down. Lily ran, listening for Petunia's voice. She heard the, "ready or not!" and gasped. She hadn't hid yet! Lily decided to go deeper into the forest. She past clearings and moss and bushes, but nowhere to hide!

Suddenly, Lily came to a halt. Only faintly could she hear her sister's voice. Before her stood a hedge. The hedge seemed to stretch out on either side, spanning the forest. Lily heard herself take a sharp intake of air. Could this be…?

Every night, Lily's father told her legends, folktales. Fanciful stories, maybe, but in every legend there rings truth. Petunia's favorite story had been the where the prince had saved the princess, but Lily was more adventurous that that. Her favorite had been a tale of witches, demons, monsters, who lived in the center of a great maze in the forest. The tale had said that long ago, they had all been humans, but a great sorceress had lured them into a trap, forcing them to be her slaves. A brave little girl, who had found the maze, had found her way to the center, and set them free. Lily loved the suspense, while Petunia shrieked in fear.

Lily ran her hands across the hedge, assuring herself it was real. What if in the center…? Lily knew she shouldn't go into the maze, and began to walk away. She needed to find a place to hide from Tuney! As a matter of fact… Lily thought she heard her sister's footsteps, against the dead leaves on the ground. Lily needed to go, now! She wouldn't lose again. But the moment of hesitation delayed Lily's escape, and she had no choice but to dive into the entrance to the hedge. She peeked out of the gaps in the plant, and watched Petunia examine the area. Lily didn't breathe. If Tuney found her, it would be Lily's 9th loss in a row! No way was that happening.

When Petunia decided that Lily wasn't there, she finally let out a breath. Then she fully realized where she had decided to hide. Lily heard a faint noise, and turned towards the source. The entrance was closing up! Lily ran towards it, but she wasn't fast enough. It was then that the fear came. She was trapped! She was trapped… what if a sorceress did live here, Lily would never see her family again, just because of a game of hide-and-go-seek! Lily was shaking. She took several deep breaths. But that sort of fear for your life can't be calmed, especially if you're eleven.

Lily slumped down on the hedge, and silently let the tears rack her body. She finally ran out after a long time, and stood up.

Lily was very curious. It was her nature. She decided that if she was going to die, she was going to at least find the center of that maze. So, she walked off, her cheeks wet, but still determined.

The path wove left and right, across bridges, through tunnels, and up hills. Lily tried keeping track of her movements, but it seemed impossible. The journey was too twisted and too long. Along the way she heard shrieks and cries, and this frightened her even more.

After what seemed like forever, Lily came to a door. It was solid, and made of dark wood. No hinges, no handle, the wood was just there, in the hedge. But some sixth sense told Lily this was it. She walked up to the door, and put her hand up against it, ready to enter the center of the maze.

To her surprise, her hand went straight through. She leaned forward even more, closing her eyes. When Lily finally opened them, she found herself on the other side of the door, looking on a very unexpected sight.

It was a large clearing, with a grove of trees and a garden off to the side. The grass was a light emerald, and the leaves on the trees were a spring green, although it was autumn. In the middle of the field was a beautiful house, (although it looked more like a small castle). The chimney was smoking, and a window was open, letting off a smell Lily recognized as raspberry.

This was certainly different than the stories. No black castle, no monsters. But Lily reminded herself it could all be a trap. It was a witch we were talking about here.

Lily walked up to the house, up the stone steps, to the door. It looked remarkably similar to the one into the clearing.

Lily looked back towards the door. It was gone! Lily hoped this wasn't a trap. She turned back to the door in front of her, and she knocked three times, then waited, with baited breath for the answer.

"Do clean up boys, we've got a visitor!" A woman's voice called out, through the house. A second later, the door opened. In the threshold stood a woman that did not look like a sorceress. She had brown and gray hair, in a braid, and wore a simple dress underneath an apron. The apron had a large number of pockets, containing was Lily thought were lemons to other strange things Lily couldn't recognize.

"Hello dear! Do come in, we won't bite. Right boys?" She turned back, towards three boys standing behind her. The first was the tallest, with raven hair, and warm hazel eyes. He peered at Lily through glasses. The second looked like he might very well bite, with that looking in his navy blue eyes. He also had black hair, but it was down to his shoulders. The third boy had light brown hair, in contrast to the other boys. He had intelligent, brown eyes.

They shook their heads. The woman gestured in the house, and Lily couldn't help but step inside. The first words she said were, "Wow."

The woman smiled.

"Do you like the house? I build it myself, you know." The house was truly amazing. The inside was much larger than the outside, (which was hard to do, considering the size of the outside). It had tall, curved ceilings, and the first room they had stepped in seemed to be a library. The walls were adorned with books, all sizes, colors, and subjects. One of the spines looked like it said, "Advanced Potion-Making for the Skilled Wizard."

So this lady was a witch. Lily decided to take the bull by the horns.

"Are you going to do anything to me?" She asked, in a small voice.

The woman laughed, along with the boys.

"No, dear. Wouldn't dream of doing anything to you. The legend was wrong about that part, love. I'm not going to trap you, or turn you into a monster. Ask my boys over here. They've been here long enough for me to trap them. If I was going to."

The brown haired boy stepped forward. "I'm Remus Lupin. Don't worry, mum won't do anything to you."

The two black haired boys stepped forward. The hazel eyed one introduced himself as James Potter.

"Sirius Black." The other one said. The woman face-palmed herself.

"I'm sorry dear, I've forgotten to introduce myself. Doreah Potter. What's your name?"

Lily looked around at the three boys, and then at the woman. They stood around, smiling at her with warm eyes. She felt like she could trust them.

"Lily Evans." She said. "Sorry about thinking you were going to do something to me…it's just the legend I guess. But you are a witch right?"

Doreah smiled. "Quite alright. Yes, I am a witch. These three are my apprentices." She turned to the boys. "I'm sure Lily would love a tour. Would you three be dears, and escort her through the house?" They nodded.

"Sure, mum!" James told her. Doreah smiled.

"I've got to go look after a potion, so bye, and have fun!" She took out a wand, and vanished. The boy who had introduced himself as Sirius took Lily's arm. James took the other. Remus protested.

"Guys, don't do that!"

"But mum said we were supposed to escort her!" James and Sirius protested.

"Not like that!" He argued. James and Sirius dropped Lily's arms. Lily smiled.

"Is Doreah all of your mothers?" She asked.

"Nah, only James's real one. But she is our mum because she takes care of us. Magic is really fun." Remus told her. Lily sighed.

"I wish I could learn magic, you lot are so lucky!" She exclaimed. "Tuney would hate it though."

James looked curious. "Who's Tuney?" He asked.

"My sister. She doesn't like magic."

"She sounds horrible." Sirius said. Lily shoved him.

"She's nice! She just is extremely practical."

"C'mon, let's get on with the tour, shall we?" He directed them towards the stairs. Along the hallway, there were paintings, and they called out hellos to the boys as they passed.

"Got a girlfriend, James?" One lady asked. James blushed.

"No! She's just visiting." He said. After a while, they came to a door. It was marked "Boys Room." Sirius pushed the door open, and revealed a spectacular room.

It was split into three sections. The first had a large four-poster bed, with 'Remus' on it. The walls had towering bookshelves, and a large desk with various things strewn across it.

The second section also had a four-poster, with 'Sirius' on it. The walls had one bookshelf, and the rest were covered with moving paintings of James, Sirius, and Remus on broomsticks, flying around. He also had a desk. James's section was last. He had a four-poster, and several bookshelves. Many broomsticks hung from the wall.

"This is our room." James said.

"How did you find the maze anyway?" Sirius asked. Lily shrugged.

"I was looking for a place to hide. Me and Tuney were playing hide-and-go-seek. I accidentally dove into here, and the hedge closed up."

The boys looked sheepish.

"Sorry about that. It was a security measure, so people don't come here. It's kind of nice to have this place to ourselves. And people don't really like witchcraft and wizardry, so it's best for it to be a secret."

Lily nodded. "I'm guessing the shrieks and things were also security?" She asked.

The boys nodded back. "I'm surprised you got to the center of the maze. You're the first person to in…well…forever!" James told her.

Remus and Sirius stood up.

"Let's go on with the tour, shall we?" Remus said. They walked back to the door.

"Let's show her the Quidditch field!" Sirius suggested. The other boys smiled, tugging the young girl along with them,

"C'mon, Lily! It's really cool." James said. They ran back down the hallway, past the paintings, down the stairs, through the Library, and out the door, into the clearing. Remus, James and Sirius guided Lily to the back of the house, to what looked like a sports field of some sort.

It had a lone stand on one end, with two seats. On either end of the field, there were three golden hoops, and lying on the ground, a trunk.

Remus ran towards the trunk. "Gosh, we forgot to put the trunk back! Mum will kill us. I'll bring it back." He picked up the trunk, and walked back to the door. Sirius and James sat down on the grass.

"This is a Quidditch field." Sirius stated.

"What's Quidditch?" Lily asked.

"A game mum made up for us. It's really fun. We'll teach you, if you want." James said.

"That would be fantastic! What are the rules?" Lily asked eagerly. This was sort of like magic!

"Well, the rules are simple. There are supposed to be two players on each team, but mum doesn't play that often. One is the chaser, and they carry the Quaffle. The Quaffle is a big, red ball. They try to get it on either end, and getting it through is worth ten points. The other is the seeker, and they try to get the Snitch. The snitch is a golden ball; it has wings and flies around. The team that catches it first gets a hundred fifty points, and the game is over. The team with the most points wins. " James was out of breath with his explanation.

"It's played on broomsticks, that fly," Sirius added. "Over there, that's our record of who has won each game since we started counting. We always have the same teams." He clarified. Lily looked at the board that Sirius was pointing to. It had been covered almost completely with tally marks.

"You lot play often, then?" She asked.

"Yep! Whenever we have free time, mostly."

"I put the trunk away!" Remus called across the field. "And mum wants us to come in." The three children rushed to Remus, and walked back in the house.

"Did the boys give you a decent tour, dear?" Doreah asked. Lily nodded vigorously.

"Amazing one, in fact. I wish I could learn more though. This house is fascinating!" Lily said, wistfully.

Doreah smiled. "On that matter, love, I was wondering that, if you would like to learn more, you would consider becoming my apprentice." Lily gasped.

"I'd love to! But I'm not magic or anything." She said.

"But you are. I created the maze as protection, yes, but also a test to see if any children could find their way through. Only if you have magic, would you be able to reach the center." She smiled at Lily. Lily smiled shyly back, but her face fell when she thought of something.

"I'd love to! But, do I have to live here?" Lily asked. Then she hastily added. "I love the house, but my family…" Doreah nodded.

"I'm not asking you to abandon your family, but if you would like to visit a few times a week, for lessons, that would be fantastic."

Lily smiled, and nodded her head.

"I'd love to. Thank you so much! This is amazing!" Lily was overwhelmed with realization. She was going to learn magic. Doreah extended her hand.

"Come dear. Let's get you home. Your family will be worried." Lily grasped her hand, and waved goodbye to the boys. Doreah spun on the spot, and when Lily opened her eyes again, she was at the edge of the forest.

"Come anytime you can. We'll have a lesson ready. Goodbye, dear! Until next time."

Lily hugged the witch, then pulled back.

"Thank you!"

Doreah looked down at the small girl. She smiled, recognizing her excitement, and then vanished again.

Lily started walking back to her village. She ran down the cobblestone streets, past the little houses and shops, until she got to her house. She pushed open the door.

"Lily!" A voice exclaimed. "You're safe!" a man stepped into the hall. He pulled Lily up for a big hug. He had blonde hair, unlike his daughter, who had fiery red locks. Lily hugged him.

"I'm fine, papa. I just got a bit lost." Lily decided not to tell him about her visit to the maze.

"Lily! My dear!" A woman ran into the room, and knelt down to embrace Lily. Her red hair matched her daughter's perfectly, and their

"You didn't get hurt, did you?"

"No, mum. I just got a bit lost."

"Come in, dinner's ready." Mr. Evans said. The trio walked into the room. Petunia was seated at the table, and smiled when Lily came in.

"Lil! You're all right! I'm sorry I couldn't find you."

Lily shook her head. "It's fine, Tuney."

The family, grateful that their youngest daughter was home, began to eat. When Lily went to bed, she smiled, remembering the day's events.

She was going to learn magic!

Lily Evans woke up the next morning, her heart pounding. Were the events of the previous day real? Lily hoped with all her heart they were. Please, please let them be real!

She clambered out of her little cot, and walked across the wood floors. They felt cool as she stepped on the planks. Opening up the small shutters, and breeze hit her face. The sky was still dark! She had time to go check in the forest. But she had to manage her time wisely. Mum got up at sunrise.

Pulling on her shoes, and her thick robe, Lily quietly crept down the stairs, careful not to wake the other members of her family. Petunia would not take kindly to being woken up at four in the morning.

The front door was too creaky, so Lily decided to go through the side exit. The small door had been oiled recently, so it would go without a sound.

The cool night air was refreshing, but it was also autumn, so Lily had to pull the robe around her. Looking up at the sky as she ran towards the edge of town, she admired the night sky. Lily had always liked the dark blue with the sparkles and speckles of light. It was a beautiful contrast.

The edge of the forest came quickly as Lily ran. She was a bit afraid. It was dark, this was the wood. Two and two make predators. But she needed to get to the hedge! She closed her eyes, taking the first step into the dark grove of trees. And the next. And the next. Lily only opened her eyes when she came to a tree root. The scene around her was not dark. Looking up to the sky, through the gaps in the leaves, she saw a sunrise on the horizon. God! She better be getting back. She could sneak away later.

Running quickly towards the small town, she rushed past the bakery, the shoemaker, the butcher, the fishmonger, the tailor, past all the little houses, until she go to her own house.

The lantern in her mother's house was already lit. Lily made a dash for the side entrance, and making sure her mother wasn't in sight, she sat down at the table. A cool breeze floated in.

Lily forgot to close the door! Her mother's footsteps were beginning to walk down the stairs…

Leaping from her chair, she closed the door- right when her mother came in the room.

"Lily, what are you doing?" Elizabeth Evans asked. She was still dressed in her nightgown. Lily was in panic. What if she found out I was in the woods?

"And why are you dressed in your coat and shoes? And why exactly are you up so early?" Lily was bombarded with questions.

Stuttering a bit, trying to compose the lie, she answered her mother, who was looking down at her, imposingly.

"I was closing the door, it swung open a bit, and I was cold. I couldn't sleep." The last statement had been true. Lily felt guilty lying. But she knew she couldn't tell her mother about the hedge. She wouldn't believe her. Neither would Petunia, or Father. There was a small chance with Father, but most likely not.

Elizabeth seemed to buy the lies. She shook her head, and walked over to the kitchen. Lighting a candle, she set it on the table, near her daughter.

"Here. This will help keep you warm." Lily faked a smile and a shiver. If she was going to lie, she was going to have to go all the way.

Her mother made Lily a cup of tea, and went upstairs to get her thick robe. "Lily, dear, wait here. If you need anything, I will be out in the garden." Lily's family owned a grocery store. They sold fruits and vegetables, so the garden was vital to them. Lily's mother did the growing, her father did the storekeeping.

It was only half and hour until Lily's father woke up. Henry Evans smiled at his daughter.

"Hello, dear. How was your sleep last night? I'm sorry I couldn't tell you a story." He said, pulling on his shoes. Lily shook her head. One of his stories might have come true yesterday instead!

"That's fine. Father, I was wondering if I could go to the forest to pick herbs for the store?" Henry was extremely surprised. His daughter wanted to go back into the wood? Why? She had gotten lost in it the day before.

"That's fine, dear. But why?" Lily shrugged.

"The forest is interesting."

"Okay. As you wish. But please, only the outskirts." Lily nodded vigorously. Yes! She could have her first lesson. She would have to go a little bit beyond the outskirts though…

After Lily had a quick breakfast of bread and jam, she headed out with her cloak, and her picking basket. She had gotten a list from her mother of the herbs they needed.

Rosemary

Thyme

Feverleaf

Lavender

Mint

Lily hoped that the previous day's events really had been real. And if they had, Lily hoped that Doreah could help with the picking. Lily knew she couldn't have a lesson and pick herbs in time without a bit of witches help.

She followed the way she remembered from her first trip. Through that clearing, past that tree, those flowers.

She looked up from the ground when she felt a shadow pass over her. Looking up, she saw a magnificent hedge.

Lily felt so happy she could die. The happiness swelled up like a balloon. She was going to be a witch! She, Lily Rose Evans! She stepped through the hedge, and on her way through the maze, was surprised that she didn't hear any of the security measures the boys had installed.

She reached the familiar door quicker this trip. Pushing through it, she ran across the clearing, and excitedly knocked on the door of the giant house.

"Lily's come again!" James's voice sounded through the house. A few seconds later, the three boys opened the door, grinning.

"Hello again, Lils!" Sirius grabbed her, pulling her inside. Remus and James greeted her with a "Hello!"

Lily, ecstatic to be back, pulled them into a hug. All three pulled back after a bit, blushing. James the most.

After they had finished saying hello, the boys led Lily into a corridor of the main hallway.

"Mum's in the potions room, she's making the Draught of Living Death, I think." Remus said, as the four passed doors and bookshelves and paintings. The people in the pictures waved to them, some recognizing Lily.

"Hello! Back again, dear?" A plump lady called.

"Good luck with your lesson!" A giraffe said as they rushed by. Lily turned back to shout a thank you before the boys whisked her off into another hallway.

Finally, after what seemed like ages, and what was several rooms, hallways, and bridges, they got to a door.

"_Potions Room"_

Remus pushed open the door, and a faint steam wafted out. A figure stood over a cauldron, which was filled with a lavender colored liquid, frothing about. When she noticed the four children enter the room, Doreah tore her eyes away from the potion for a second.

"Hello, Lily dear! Good to have you back, just a second- oh! Darn." The potion had boiled over, causing the fire to fizzle out. Doreah brushed her hair from her forehead, and sighed.

"This potion is so tricky. I only have one vial left in my store cupboard." She shook her head, and with a wave of her wand, and a quick, "Scourigfy!" the mess was gone. Lily blinked, amazed. Would she learn to do that soon? She hoped so. It would make chores so much easier…

"We're sorry about the potion, mum, we'll help you make a new one…" James said, as Sirius and Remus nodded. Lily suddenly felt guilty, and nodded along with the boys. It was her fault.

"Oh, don't worry yourselves, it isn't a big deal. I'll try again tonight." Doreah brushed herself off, and looked at Lily, smiling.

"I think we've got a magic lesson scheduled, don't we?" Lily nodded. "Boys, you can play Quidditch, but if you want to, you can stay with us." Lily hoped they would choose to go outside. They would be watching for her first lesson? No way. She would be to scared trying not to make a fool out of herself. Privacy, please!

"Quidditch!" James, and Sirius shouted. Why wouldn't they? Quidditch was the best thing ever. Remus agreed, but for a different reason. He was the most sensitive of the group, and noticed Lily's nervousness. She wouldn't want them there for her first lesson.

"So, my dear? What to start with? I think I'll let you decide." Doreah began summoning books from around the house. Lily watched, mesmerized, until she processed her teacher's words. The witch, seeing her pupil's confusion, smiled knowingly.

"I get that you did not realize there were different branches of magic?" Lily nodded, feeling over her head.

"Well, there are many. I cannot show you them all today, but I will tell you about them. Some. The basics." She picked up a book from the shelf, and began flipping through the many pages.

"Here. You can borrow this book later; it gives information about the different branches of magic. The five basics are- Transfiguration- which is the art of transforming things into other things, Potions- you know what that is, mixing ingredients to form a liquid that causes something, Charms- spells that do stuff, to put it briefly. There is Herbology- the study of magical plants, and there is my favorite, Defense Against the Dark Arts. You see, Lily, not all magic is good. Magic can be very evil. So it is important to be able to protect yourself from it. There are many other branches we won't venture into today, but please borrow this- it gives wonderful knowledge." Lily was in awe. This was positively fascinating! She decided to go with charms. The spells seemed fun to do.

Doreah seemed to suddenly remember something. "Oh deary! I forgot- completely slipped my mind- we've got to get you a wand!" Grabbing Lily's wrist, and flying out the door, Doreah followed a similar path that the boys had taken to get to the potions room. They stopped after a moving staircase, in front of a pretty red door, with the label, _"Wand Room". _

Lily found this to be extremely cool. Her own wand…that was cool. But how would she choose? The room was filled from top to bottom and across all the walls with boxes. Long, thin boxes that held wands, Lily presumed.

"A wand chooses the wizard, Lily. But since there are so many here, I think we can choose a bit, to narrow down the search. Hmm… what do you think, dragon heartstring, or phoenix feather? You seem fiery." Lily nodded, unsure of what the witch was saying. Jargon of the job, she supposed.

"Maybe something suitable for Charms? Yes. And maybe…what wood? Think, Doreah…" She was muttering under her breath, pulling boxes, reading labels.

Finally, she pulled out a box, a silver one, with red ribbon holding the top on.

"Here, try this. Oak with phoenix feather. Ten inches, good for Charms." Lily took the wand, uncertain of what to do. Almost immediately she heard a, "BOOM!" and boxes on the shelves went flying. Did she do that?

"I'm so sorry! I didn't mean too…" Lily stuttered. Doreah shook her head, chuckling.

"You sound like the boys did- well James and Remus- when they got their wands. Trial and error, my dear. We don't get the right wand on the first try. Never have. I've only done it three times before."

Lily blushed, then placed the wand on the nearest shelf. That was obviously not the right wand.

Several wands later, Doreah was looking positively frazzled. What wand would fit this girl? She hadn't had this much trouble since James- Oh! Hadn't she thought unicorn fit with him? But it ended up being phoenix. Maybe with Lily…

Unicorn! Unicorn it was.

Dashing for the shelf that held the Unicorn wands, she pulled out one, looking at the label. Yes. This was good.

"Lily! I think I have it, my dear. Here. Try this one." Lily picked up the wand, waiting for the same sound of chaos she had grown accustomed to. It seemed to come every time she held a magic wand. But she waited, and it didn't some. Instead there was a warm breeze, and the room seemed to light up with a reddish glow. Lily smiled, this felt right in her hand.

Doreah sighed. That was tough. Good. Now they could get on to the lesson.

"Good! Good, good. Let us start the lesson! That wand has an affinity for charms, so this shouldn't be so difficult." They made their way through many winding hallways, staircases and corridors. Lily was getting used to long treks. They stopped at a plain door, painted blue, that didn't have a label. Doreah pushed it open, revealing a soaring ceiling and a few scattered wooden tables. There were large windows, letting in plenty of light. Through the glass, Lily could see the boys out on the Quidditch field, flying around on their brooms. As she sat down on a stool, she felt calmed by the peaceful blue of the walls.

"So, charms? I think that a simple levitating spell would be an interesting first lesson, would it not?" Lily grinned. This would be fantastic! Levitating things? Wow.

"That would be fantastic!" Doreah pulled out her wand, and directed Lily to do the same.

"Okay. Wand movements first. Swish and flick. Swish and flick. Yes, that's it. Just keep on doing that. Practice makes perfect." Lily repeated her 'swish and flick' for about ten minutes, until Doreah deemed that her movement was perfect, and it was time for the incantation.

"Okay, wand down. The words are, 'Windgardium', repeat after me," Lily did so, careful to pronounce the "gar" longer, imitating Doreah. "Leviosa. Wingardium Leviosa. Got it?"

"Yup. So I just combine the incantation with the 'swish and flick'?" Lily asked. Doreah nodded yes.

"Oh, and here is a pebble, dear. Start small." Waving her wand, she seemed to conjure a stone out of thin air. Lily took it, and placed it on the wooden table.

"Wingarduim Leviosa!" She said, as clearly as she could. The stone wobbled a bit, but didn't rise. Lily was disappointed.

"Now, don't worry. It would be a shock if you got it on the first try. It is your first spell. Try it again." Lily did as she was told.

Pointing at the pebble again, she concentrated on the spell and the spell only.

"Wingardium Leviosa!" Lily watched in amazement as the stone rose into the air half and inch, before dropping down again. Lily's confidence had risen higher than the stone, so she wasn't discouraged. It had levitated. It had! That was a start.

By the time Doreah stopped her, saying that she should be getting back, Lily had performed the spell completely many times. Doreah praised her so much that Lily thought her ears would fall off from turning red so often. Doreah commented on her adeptness at charms, how quickly she picked it up.

"So, would you like to borrow a book, Lily?" Lily nodded. Magic was fascinating. She wanted to learn as much as possible. Doreah led her to the library, and took a few books of the shelves.

"Here. These should be good to start with." Lily thanked her, and was almost out the door when she saw her picking basket. Oh gosh! She needed to get those herbs.

"Um…Doreah?" Lily asked.

"Yes, dear?"

"I was wondering if you could help me get some herbs? My mother said I could come to the woods because she needed herbs for the store- you see, I didn't tell them about this." Lily explained. Doreah smiled, pointing towards a wooden door at the other end of the hall.

"Of course! I have a storeroom here. What do you need?" Lily wracked her mind.

"Rosemary, uh… Feverleaf, thyme, lavender, and mint."

"I have plenty of that. Come, dear." As she opened the door, a barrage of smells hit Lily's nose. Oregano, rose, lemon, pepper. Doreah walked among the baskets of herbs and plants, grabbing handfuls of things.

"Here, Lily. I think that should be enough." Lily thanked her, and hugged her goodbye. Putting the bundles in her basket, she rushed across the field, shouting and waving a quick goodbye to the boys. They stopped on their brooms to wave back.

Lily realized that she had three books with her as well. That would be fishy. They didn't have a library in town, only a bookshop. It would look like Lily bought something without her parent's permission.

Running her hands over her thick robe, she found a deep pocket, and managed to stuff the books in there. They weren't particularly large books, but it still weighed heavily on the robe.

When she got to her house, out of breath, Lily made sure no one was inside, and ran up to her room, stashing the books under the mattress of her bed. She hung up the robe on a hook, and went back downstairs to get her herb basket.

Calling to her mother to tell her she was back, and that she had gotten the herbs.

"Go bring them to your father, at the store." Elizabeth replied. Petunia shouted a hello to her sister, from the garden. Lily usually helped in the store on weekends, and on weekdays after school ended.

School was a small house that had two rooms, one for the young kids, and one for the older ones. It was taught by two women, in their forties.

Lily opened the door of the small grocery store, hearing the familiar bell chime, as it swung open and closed.

The little shop was bustling with customers as Lily squeezed her way through, to the counter her father stood at, helping people. She was amazed at the amount of people in the grocery store. It seemed as if the whole village was there. Some people recognized Lily as she pushed past, and offered their greetings.

"Good day, Lily!" A black-haired man called. Lily waved to him.

"Thank you, Mr. Charles!" A small boy, about the age of five, ran up to her, pulling her into a hug.

"Hello Ms. Lily!" Lily smiled at the young boy. She had taken care of him once or twice while his parents traveled to the neighboring village.

After making her way to the back of the shop, to the counter, she looked around for her father. Hmm…not here. Maybe he went out back to pick up something? The traders might be here today; he loved getting discounts for goods.

"BOO!"

Lily jumped about a foot in the air. Swiveling around, she found herself facing her father, who was grinning, his blonde hair disheveled. Lily stuck her tongue out at him, which he copied in turn.

"I got you, Lils! So what did my favorite youngest daughter get for me today?" He teased. Lily smirked.

"After that, father, I have half a mind to not give it to you…" Henry put on a mock sad face, and knelt on the ground.

"Oh, please, Lily, have mercy on me." Lily giggled, and faked an exaggerated sigh.

"Oh, I suppose you can." She reached for her basket, filled with the herbs from Doreah. "I went to the forest to get these, mum said I needed mint, feverleaf, lavender, thyme, and rosemary." Henry nodded.

"Yes, yes. Thank you dear! But you can take the feverleaf home to your mother; she needs that to keep at home. But the other herbs are good for here. Come, help me stock the herb shelf." He took Lily by the hand, and led her over to a wooden shelf, with boxes filled with leaves and berries and all sorts of herbs.

The whole shop was covered with similar shelves, for fruit and vegetables, eggs and milk, honey and other sweets. They also had a small stock of sugar, but that was not out on display, but could only be bought by special order. Sugar was precious.

Taking Lily's basket, Henry pointed out the boxes where certain herbs would go, letting his daughter fill them up. Once that had been finished, he bid her goodbye, and she went back home.

As she was walking back to the house, to help her mother with dinner, Lily felt the small piece of wood in her pocket. Making sure no one could see, she took out her wand, and choosing a large rock, whispered the words,

"_Wingardium Leviosa_!" The stone flew into the air, and directing it with her wand, Lily made it do flips and twirls in the air. She grinned at the sight. She loved to be able to do that. It made her feel special.

Lily quickly tucked her wand back in her pocket, causing the rock to drop back to earth. She better be getting back to the house, mother would be wondering where she was, and the sun was getting lower.

Pushing open the door to her house, she was greeted with a pleasant smell of stew and potatoes. Breathing in heavily, Lily walked into the kitchen, where her mother was bent over the fire, stirring something in a large pot, hung on a hook.

"Hello Lily! Come in, the potatoes are boiled, they just need chopping, knife's over there." Lily got the knife, and began chopping the potatoes in even chunks.

The silence in the kitchen was accompanied with the rhythm of Lily's chopping. Chop, pause, chop chop, pause, chop, pause, chop chop pause.

"So, I'm assuming you collected the herbs for your father?" Elizabeth asked, breaking the silence. Lily turned to her mother, stopping her cutting for a moment.

"Yes, but he told me to take the feverleaf back home." She replied, hoping that her mother did in fact need it. If not, Lily would have to deliver the leaf to the apothecary. That was on the other side of town!

"Yes, yes. I need some, the winter months are coming, and if you all get sick I want to have some on hand." Lily nodded. Petunia had a certain knack for getting fevers during colder months. Lily occasionally got sick, but definitely not as much as her older sister.

Returning back to her chopping, Lily picked up a particularly hot potato. The shock of sudden heat made her to drop the vegetable, and ducking to the ground, she bent to pick it up. The quickness of the movement caused her wand to drop out of her pocket.

Lily cursed inwardly, because her mother noticed it before she did.

"Lily, what is that?" She asked, curious at the piece of wood. Lily's mind raced, trying to find a suitable explanation.

"Um, I saw a pretty stick, it looked like it had carvings in it, so I picked it up." She 'explained', praying her mother would buy it. Elizabeth frowned.

"Lily, you know how I feel about dirt in this house. If you wash it in the stream tomorrow, I can let you keep it in your room." Lily nodded, with fake shame, relieved that her mother hadn't questioned her further.

As she went back to chopping the potatoes, Lily realized she needed to keep all this a secret, and that hiding this from her family might be more difficult than it sounded.

**So, what do you guys think? I'm going to answer a few questions. Yes, there is no Hogwarts, no Peter. It is an alternate sort of universe. It is set in some old time, probably medieval times, (I don't know- it doesn't fit anywhere exactly.) in a village on a mountain. Sirius was abandoned by his family, and Remus was orphaned. Petunia might seem out of character, but this is before her and Lily's relationship broke. I had to adapt Quidditch, how do you guys like it? If you liked it enough to review, or want to offer some constructive criticism, I welcome you to hit that button…**

**Love you guys!**


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